Load Testing A Battery - EricTheCarGuy
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- Load Testing A Battery - EricTheCarGuy
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Whenever I post a video these days I wonder if I covered everything and if I presented the information correctly. I have that feeling with this video as there is so much I could cover with batteries. Lets just call this one the "quick" version and hopefully it will get you through the process of checking the battery without too much trouble.
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WOW Eric, you have come ALONG way since this video! Congrats man. I use your videos to refer to people who have car issues that I know were adressed in a video you have made. :)
@grixxles If you load test it like in this video you will know for sure but your describing a failed cell. The symptom could also be the result of a poor connection so make sure your batter connections are clean and tight especially if you have those aftermarket terminals where you pinch the wire into the connector, they have a tendency to corrode hear and cause a connection failure.
@masteryoda394 For that I use what is called an inductive AMP meter. It's an inexpensive tool that measurers the amps as you crank the starter.
Good useful vid!
In a future video, you might want to mention that another sign to identify a bad battery is that it very quickly recovers to its preload voltage after a large load test is disconnected from the battery. Note: A *good battery* gradually recovers its preload voltage after a large load test is disconnected from the battery.
Would you mind explaining the reasoning for this from an electronics perspective?
it doesnt make sense to me.
thanks
***** I do not know the reason that the phenonenon occurs or exactly what chemical reaction/s occur, however, I do know it is a proven fact that it does occur.
If you do not believe me, the next time you buy a car battery, buy a .06 Ohm resistor also. Fully charge the new battery & then place the .06 Ohm resistor across the battery terminals for 10 to 15 seconds while monitoring the battery's terminal voltage (it will initially drop to ~11V). As the battery discharges, the V will continue to drop. Once the battery V=10.5V, stop discharging the battery through the resistor & pay attention to how long it takes the battery to recover to its resting V (which will now be lower than the full charge V). Then, perform the exact same test on a battery that recharges to it's proper V but doesn't have enough capacity to start a car & you will see EXACTLY what I described in my initial comment. Note: Do NOT use a dead battery that has one or more shorted cells.
Happy future learning!
zeffur7 I thank you for your reply.
With that said, have you ever attempted this to know it is safe?
12V/0.06 ohms is 200 amps!!
200amps*12Volts is 2400 watts!!
This seems like an incredibly dangerous test, with the possibility to blow up the resistor, and possibly burn\hurt the human testing it?
Or am I wrong and this is perfectly safe?
"...have you ever attempted this to know it is safe?"
I have used a 0.1A wire-wound ceramic encased resistor (which I got out of a large screen TV) many times to perform car battery load testing. The resistor that I used is a high power resistor that will begin to smoke after about 15 seconds when used to test a fully charged car battery.
Was it a safe test? Yes, for a person who knows what s/he is doing. Is it safe for someone who has little electrical knowledge & skill, probably not. In a worst case scenario, the coil would melt & the ceramic material would crack--but not explode. As I am a trained electronics technician, I have lots of experience & I would never allow the resistor to get hot enough to crack (because I want to use it repeatedly). In my testing, I applied the load to the battery terminals for 10 second intervals (like car starting instructions recommend when starting a car). I would then allow the load resistor to cool down & then apply it again to the battery until the battery reached a terminal voltage of 10.5V (you don't have to discharge this deeply to see the effect that I described in previous comment messages).
Fyi...many truck starters & some luxury cars draw 200A at startup. Cars often draw 100-200A. A professional battery load tester uses a carbon pile or a coiled nichrome wire as its load component. That's why most load testers feel warm during/after they are used.
If you want to customize your max load current use the following information:
Vmax / Amax = Resistor Ohms
Where:
Vmax = the maximum charged voltage of the battery to be tested
Amax = the maximum current you need/want to draw
Resistor Ohms = the approximate resistance of the resistor that will be required (note: your cabling, connectors, etc also provide some resistance. To be more accurate, you would measure those resistances & subtract them from this calculated resistance value to determine the ideal size of your load resistor )
Example:
13.2V / 150A = .088 Ohms (this is the resistance value that you would use to create ~150A current draw)
Note: The battery V drops as testing occurs, so circuit current will be maximum at the beginning of the test & decrease proportionally as the battery V decreases during the testing.
Thank you!
I will have to look into "high-power resistors." I was imagining a typical resistor, the kind that you would find in a hobbyist electronics kit.
@pandurate That is interesting, I'll have to look into it. Thanks for your comments.
I just checked a 95 or 96 nissan factory service manual and under the electric section it tells you the cold cranking amps. This is why I always take the time to find a FSM for ever car we own. Unfortunately, like our Chrysler, the only FSM I found was on ebay and close to $100, still worth it if you have the money though.
@bowlingballout That's what I'm here for, thanks for watching and commenting.
Oh man! I totally agree on the batterys in new high end cars being too small. Especially in the Honda/Acuras. New recently is the battery life sensor in some models, that starts shutting down luxury options in the vehicle if the battery is a little low on charge. Problem? New vehicles on the lot drop a little bit of charge & when test drivers come along, error messages pop up & the car shuts down the good options! Impressive! Modern technology! Gotta not love it!
@CravinMorehead420 Your right on that one. I'm going to cover the fluid level in the video I plan to do on batteries in the future, this one was just for testing. Thanks for your input.
@richardramoso First I don't recommend washing engines as I know of more than one occasion where a no start happened shortly after. It sounds like you might have a problem with the battery, charge it, load test it and see what you get. If the battery is good then check to make sure the connections are clean at the terminals.
Honda dealership told me I needed a new battery when my voltage was reading 14.2 with engine running and 13.2 engine off. The battery is less than a year old and I have ZERO issues with it. Autozone later confirmed a GOOD battery. How does Honda dealership mess with load printouts????
996601 996601
12.6 off is 100% 12.4 is 75% good
Sadly many honda dealers like to feed you BS to sell you stuff lately. Recently they killed my battery during service (left lights on maybe) and came out with a BS load test AFTER they killed it and looking to sell a new one. I guess the factory trained tech was out back smoking weed the day they taught that load testing a discharged battery is foolish. Battery was fine before that day and ever since. Passes a PROPER load test (when charged) with flying colours. Maybe I can take in my load tester and teach them a class. Had another LOL report when they measured nearly new tires at HALF the actual tread depth. JUST change the oil, I don't need your BS. btw no need for fancy calculations. That stepped scale on your load tester gives you a pretty good approximation of available CCA.
14.2 to 14.7, heck! Even 15 volts while running at idle is good. With the engine reving shouldn't pass of 15 volts and with a load, 13.7, 13.8 its ideal, but, 13.5 to 13.0 is excellent. Forgot o say, that when the engine is turned off, the battery gonna read 13 Whatever volts, Then is gonna drop to 12 Whatever volts.
@1elAguila Thanks for watching man, and the comment.
@bobinator50000 Those batteries are great and worth the $ if you asked me. I agree about low voltage, I've seen it effect more than just transmission shifting but a whole host of other systems as well. Thanks for the comment.
EricTheCarGuy hey Eric can you check it and also read if it's good, can u get a fun check and read when u don't press the power button.? Thanks great videos
Eric's spot on. A battery can meter apparently perfectly but then collapse when you try and crank the engine with it. hence the load test...
@PrOGueRReRo1 The best clue you have given me is that it starts in neutral. Perhaps there is an issue with the gear selector switch, it could be misadjusted or could have an electrical problem. But I will also say that sometimes those remote starters can cause problems.
@polypolyman I've heard of that but I've never seen it for myself. For the most part I've seen batteries last about 4-5 years. The fact that you had one last that long was pretty cool.
Eric , I have read that if a battery is never allowed to discharge ... IE: always hooked up to a trickle /maintainer can greatly extend the life . Any thoughts on that?
Your video helped me alot Eric I bought a voltage meter. I thought I needed an alternator but as per your instructions I realized my alternator is fine and that my battery was weak. And to tell you the truth it's one of my favorite tools now I find myself poking and prodding and checking voltage all over the car just for no reason for the fun of it I find it all very interesting. Your videos are very informative I have learned a lot from you. Two things it's awesome that
Most mechanics these days won't let your car leave the shop unless they stick you with at least a $1500.00 ~ $2000.00 bill. It's always better to test and fix your own car problems these days. Better yet, buy a car built around or before 2005 as these vehicles have much less electrical and computer controls and sensors which makes the vehicles ten times easier to diagnose and fix by any home DIY mechanic.
When car manufacturers install sensors to monitor windshield washer fluid levels that's getting to the point where car manufacturers are installing whatever sensors they can to maximize profits at the automotive repair shops.
@@happycat0411 100% correct 👍
@eddieboy50 Me too, thanks for your comment.
@fraternica I'm not sure if that's a battery problem but it wouldn't hurt to check it. It might be that the clock itself is bad when it switches over from low power to full power when you start it. I really couldn't say without knowing the car and having a wiring diagram to see how it is suppose to work.
@jdubdoubleu I had a similar problem once with a modified engine. The exhaust ran close to the starter and caused increased amp draw when it got hot. I would check the amp draw with and inductive amp meeter when the problem occurs. I solved my problem by making a metal shield to go over the starter.
@grixxles That may be the case but in order to do an accurate test you really should use a proper load tester, the one I used in this video is actually very affordable. Good luck and thanks for the update.
@mdebass That's why Honda sent that expensive new battery tester to all the dealers, they didn't want to warranty any more batteries without the machine signing off on it.
@joewarcupinhull Those modules can drain the battery as you say especially if the battery is marginal, when testing for a parasitic draw you need to take this into account and make sure all the systems have gone into sleep mode before you begin your testing this can take up to 30 min or more.
@robran53 Thanks for the comment. I'm not trying to sell you anything I can't profit from. :)
@spelunkerd We had a similar device that we used at the dealership where I worked, it worked very well in fact so yea, I would use it. As to your other question I haven't been on a 'real' vacation since June 2001, I have however done a lot of driving in that time and I think that is what you are getting at. You could actually take the tips I put into "Trippin with ETCG" and apply that toward the video you are requesting.
@dollman0 I've used such testers as well but to be honest I haven't known the traditional carbon pile testers to be an issue if you follow proper procedure.
@2010Reilly Panasonic, best batteries I've ever used.
"I'll be able to play the lead of phantom of the opera, but I'll still be able to see."
lmao
You don't need a load tester, If your car has a battery voltage gauge like most cars do, just start your engine while keeping an eye of that gauge if it stays above 9.6 volts you are good.
@passion1080 Chrysler hides their batteries these days, sometimes under the back seat and other times below the headlights behind the fender liner, I'm not exactly sure where it is on yours but I would look in those places.
i appreciate the time you spend on these videos. im a student working towards an associates in automotive technology and when i dont quite understand things in class i often refer to your videos. thanks again buddy.
@mizer6666 I've never heard of a battery lasting 13 years, ever. The most I've seen is 100 months, in fact I've seen batteries last exactly as long as the warranty is good for, for instance if it's a 5 year battery I've seen it last about 5 years to the day. It must have been a very special battery.
Eric I have several Harleys that I store in my garage. I use a Battery Minder (not tender) and they last much longer due to the desulfator function which is not for lithium batteries. I’m sure there are other brands that do the pulse charging but I have found through much research that this helps lengthen battery life.
@snoopdogie187 Yea, I have seen that, or the incorrect battery was installed. I think in the video I do on batteries I will explain CCA in greater detail.
@axenz1 If you are referring to the "eye" it's really not that accurate as it is only placed in one cell so it will only show the condition of that particular cell and not the entire battery.
Doing this as part of an apprentice electrician exam. Thanks for helping me visualise it
@boogiewoogie212 Don't ignore the evidence, it doesn't seem that the alternator is the problem, you can watch my video on "Diagnosing a Charging System" to help you make that determination. Make sure the battery is good and check all the connections. A good connection is key to proper electrical system operation.
@DavidSyntax I like the toaster reference, very accurate. The Phantom of the Opera comment was an attempt at humor if the battery did blow up and you only had goggles on.
@nightmathzombieethan It is but sometimes the wrong battery gets installed. You can always go higher too.
@nobo631 If it's not passing the CCA then yes the battery is bad and should be replaced.
Hey Eric what's up brother. My battery died and when I bought another I noticed that the bottom plastic hold down piece held the battery down but not completely. You could move the battery while clamped down with your hand. I was told by a auto instructor that if your battery moves around while your driving it could cause it to drain prematurely. Long story short use a small ratchet strap around your battery & tray. Nice.
@mss829 It has been proven that works but it makes a sticky mess. Personally I prefer the baking soda.
@ericgohsw I don't see any readings for a load test of the battery. You might want to watch the other video I did "Alternator Diagnosis 101" for more tests and info but it is paramount that you load test the battery before doing any other testing. BTW 12.4V is less than the 12.6V the battery should be.
why is it key to load test a battery before testing the alternator? can a good alternator fail a test if a battery tests ok at shops but wont pass this load test? have you ever seen a good alternator fail a test with a load test 'fail' battery, yet test ok with a good battery?
if you have, then i think i got fleeced good by dealership who only load tested my bad battery after replacing the 'failed' alternator.
@EndlessT As a matter of fact, yes. So much to cover.....
@skipwadoo That is my goal, thanks for the comment.
Dude, you're so young here. Excellent video, thank you!
That's virtually the same as the one I bought here in the UK (sold by Clarke Power) except mine's chromed, not black. Cost me £24 and works a treat.
@stoneman1975 Depends on which ones you read but it it's preceded with a CCA then yes.
6:36 I am going to invest in a load tester tomorrow. Reason is I’ve had an intermittent battery light issue mainly when trying to accelerate between 30-55mph. I have to step into the gas at high rpm’s to get it to speed up and finally shift around 55. But the battery light comes on. Back in October last year I had to replace the battery with one that was only a couple months old. Light was giving the issue prior to that but it was on rare occasions. Over the last couple months it’s been more frequent and last week it just stayed on. Never had issues with dimming or flickering lights or anything. I replaced the alternator with a used one. I still have an intermittent light again and the shift issues. My multimeter says I have 14.7 volts and 14.2 colts when I turn on headlights, a/c, interior lights. But the light only comes on when I attempt to speed up below 55. So I want to do a load test just to satisfy one thing that is on my mind that it could be. Thanks for the video. Btw it’s an old vehicle. A 2006 Buick Rendevous CX with a 3.5 V6. I inherited it sort of from a friend that passed. So I inherited the problems too. Lol.
@jambe1234567 They've been talking about that for years but I really haven't seen any movement in that direction to date.
@xcinnamonxspyderx It was only about $20.
@snoopdogie187 There is no substitute for the factory manual, I agree.
@hp11208 That would be a big fat no. Your load testing the battery not the electrical system, for load testing the electrical system see Checking a Charging System.
Cool video, i remember mine battery dropped dead once in a warm day in couple seconds. I stopped the engine, went to the store, came back, turned the ignition key and all i heard twice was CLICk CLICK, checked, the connection, all was fine, checked the starter - all fine - turned out one of the cells just dropped - pretty much no voltage at all and no way to charge it - battery was 13 years old :)
I was wondering how to load test my battery,,,,Thanks for the informative video Eric
@latana151 Hard to say but it's easy enough to test the battery and find out.
batteries are usually overlooked until they are dead and the driver is upset and stuck haha!... I usually check the fluid level first then go from there... great video Eric =]
Nice. Thanks for showing what a bad battery on the load test looks like.
Most people don't realise that a drained battery, is damaged and will continue to discharge after recharging. This makes a lot of people believe that the car is sapping the battery. So if you run a good battery down, you may well need a new one. A big price to pay for not shutting a door properly etc.
ERIC, I LIKE THE OLD BATTERY TESTERS. THAT CHECK EACH CELL. TODAY ITS BAD OR GOOD. LOCAL AUTO PARTS.I WATCH YOUR VIDEOS OFTEN. THANKS ERIC.ITS A BUSY WORLD AND WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR OWN BUSSINESS WE;LL ITS NOT MUCH TIME FOR THINGS.
My battery is in the trunk can i load test from the ports in the engine bay or should it be right on the battery terminals?
@bigblockmustang Always good to see you Les.
My mom's old windstar came with an amazing battery - lasted about 10 years and 150k miles or so before it needed replacement..
@nightmathzombieethan mentioned that quickly in my first comment, but also wanted to add more info because you don't always get a battery with a car or sometimes the tags on the battery are heavy worn/damaged that they can't be read anymore.
That is for flooded (lead acid) batteries, do you test AMG, Optima type batteries the same?
Is 9V minimum on a load test a universal number we can count on regardless of the battery's CCA rating or the vehicle's model? Is there a way to find out what the minimum req'd voltage is for a specific model? I checked under the alternator description. I was not able to find such a thing in my Subaru manual. Even on your load tester, the Good, Weak, Bad minimum voltage changes based on the CCA being rated.
@jambe1234567 Either your equipment was not connected correctly or your battery isn't good. Check the connections first.
@EricTheCarGuy I know these,they have a clamp you put on the wire. good idea,thanks man.
I bought one of these testers at Harbor Freight, I use it to test UPS batteries. However, I have never tested a battery while it was still hooked up to a car.
@bloodieduckies You really can't "load test" a battery with a multimeter as it does not have the capability of putting the proper load on the battery. In order to load test you need to use a load tester designed to do just that.
Great video for being 13 years old. Thanks.
@passion1080 This car has the battery on the drivers side, in front of the wheel splash shield. Cheers!!
Helpful. Thanks.
I have a 97 F350 7.3 TD. It has parasitic electrical leaks. We thought we isolated them to one circuit. We put a switch in to kill the circuit when parked. Got her running, drove for an hour. Parked it. Flipped the cut off. Next day, dead. Very dead. Next step, I think, is to test the batteries. These poor guys have suffered through the charging up and dying many many times. Given that they are dead dead, should i trickle charge them and then load test or what? Thanks.
@snoopdogie187 Most parts stores have the listing but I have no idea where they get them. I hope to cover CCA in greater detail in a battery video at some point in the future. Thanks for the comment.
@posthastey Perhaps you should watch the other videos in the series then. It's my show, I'll be as 'impish' as I like thank you very much. :)
I just use a voltmeter, run tests; checked before, got a reading of 9.31VDC I already knew she was a goner due to some simple tests I did but I proceeded. I jump started her and she jump to 14.3VDC in no time, I immediately knew it was not the alternator which was what I was checking for and so, I tossed her out and got a new battery and she is all good now.
I always find your tutorials informative . appreciate your work
@jazzy4me4eva Not a bad idea, I hope to get to that soon.
in a comment you noted: it is paramount that you load test the battery before doing any other testing. so i wonder: is it key to load test a battery before testing the alternator? can a good alternator fail if a battery seems ok but fails a load test? or are they independent/separate tests?
the honda dealership only basic tested my battery (didnt load test), then tested the alternator which failed, replaced it, the load tested the battery as a last step which failed. so now i wonder if i got fleeced.
Thanks for the video. What if we do not know the cold cranking amps? All stickers fell off
@jambe1234567 Not if your using a tester as the tester will be providing the load.
Very helpful video thank you
I haven't seen one, but you said you could do an entire video on batteries. Could you please?
Great info, I have an old battery load tester and it works great, it has never failed me.
I think a REAL load tester like you have is the best.
I mentioned these type of testers on another car guy channel (will not mention his name) he just about laughed at me, he said these can ruin an old battery, he uses an $800 tester.
I feel that no way can that tester put a "starter" load on a battery.
Keep up the great work Eric.
Bill
@masteryoda394 I would think it should be in the manual, but I just checked the manual for our 93 Chrysler and it says nothing about this in there. Checked under the hood, nothing, driver door, nothing. I would check for your car anyway, then there is always google to help. It is probably listed in a factory service manual, but I can't find mine to tell you. You can usually go by the battery the car already has, but you can always use a higher amp battery as long as it fits.
Hey Eric. just a quick thought? When you load test a battery should you isolate the negative terminal? Great Vid TY
6-volt systems are nothing to scoff at. I knew of a fellow with a '54 Ford. He was messing with a tail light, and shorted something. It melted the screwdriver in his hand like butter.
Thanks, very helpful. From the Philippines.
Thanks Eric!
Eric, when you remove the battery the car loses memory for radio stations and the computer has to completely reboot, losing memory. I've seen a small device you can plug into the cigarette lighter. It has a small 9v battery to protect the computer and other devices from complete voltage loss. What do you think about that device?
By the way, would you consider doing a video of what tools you take with you on vacation? No start situations often present themselves away from the shop....
Thanks.
My car would crank but not turnover. The dealership told me it was the fuel pump so they replaced it. They had to keep my car a couple days for an airbag recall. Today they call me saying the car wont start and they found its the battery at fault. Now the battery I have is a 2 year old yellow top dry cell battery because I have an aftermarket audio system. The battery was checked prior to bringing it in with a load tester and it read 12.8 and didnt drop. I informed him this. He said the battery was tested on there end and only read 100CCA out of the 750CCA. ANd that battery can just die. Because the battery is still under optima warranty I told him I would buy a battery and bring it in. They okay'd this. I think they are trying to steal my battery and take my money now. There is no way I believe to read CCA instantly, correct?
Lol at 4:05-4:08, good joke, and a good way of putting a good point across
Hey Eric.. I noticed the flag hanging in the background the starred area of flag should be to the left when you are facing the flag. Thanks .. just a U.S. Patriot here.. I enjoy watching your vids. Take care
Thanx Eric. I bought a tester just like it. Thank G-d for Harbor freight. China must be the most fun place on earth. They make everything there. The trouble with using Chinese tools is, an hour later you want use them again!
If you haven't already done it, can you do a whole video on batteries please Eric?
Been awhile, only duty cycle ive been doing is permanent press
Harbor Freight tester! Haha I bought one about an hour ago. I hopei serves me well. I paid $20 plus tax for mine.
Thanks GREAT Instruction
Load testers are rated 100 amp, 135 amp etc. and increase in price with increase rating. What size is sufficient for a car, pickup truck?
Great car help channel. Probably as good as I have found on CZcams. Straight talk and straight to the point.
Do have a question. The audio on your videos is amazing. What type of microphone do you use?
Thx Eric, ur the man